I finally got to go to Mickey’s Not-so-Scary Halloween party at Disney World this year and it did not disappoint! From the Halloween decor to the parades and costumes, it was a spooktacular celebration. Our last time at Disney was during Covid, so it wasn’t quite as magical as usual. It was nice to see it back in its full Disney glory.

A Special After-Hours Disney Halloween Party

The first Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party took place in 1995, as a one-day event designed to offer a family-friendly and less scary alternative to traditional Halloween events. The party featured special Halloween-themed entertainment, including a parade, trick-or-treating, and unique character meet-and-greets. It still includes all this and more, and spans August- October 21st, occurring on certain nights each week.

The party is a special ticketed event, so the park is cleared out by 6PM and only party guests are allowed to stay. The park stays open until just past midnight! This is also one of the only times us adults get to join in on the costume fun, although it is Florida so it’s still hot, and there is a lot of walking, so you’ll want to keep that in mind when planning your costume. I went for a Halloween themed dress, comfy sneakers and Haunted Mansion Mickey ears.

Boo to You! at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

One of the highlights of the event is the “Boo to You” Halloween Parade, which includes special floats, Disney characters in costume, and other spooky surprises. Another popular show is the “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular,” featuring the Sanderson Sisters from the Disney movie “Hocus Pocus.”

These events happen more than once, and it’s easy to get a little overwhelmed with so much to see and do! We caught bits and pieces while trying to make our way around the park. They would block off entire areas for the parade, so it was a little weird trying to work your way around to get on rides and things.

And the things they do with the castle and the lighting is so amazing that I took so many pictures of the castle! The fireworks show is not to be missed as well.

The only annoying thing is all the people trying to record the whole darn thing on their phone, so I spent the fireworks show jammed under some guy’s armpit while he recorded the fireworks instead of watching them. Put your arms down for goddsakes and enjoy the show. Half my pictures were blocked with people just holding their phones in the air to record stuff. (yes, I had my phone up too, but only for a moment here and there)

I would suggest eating dinner before you go and saving room for the special desserts only available during the party. A lot of the regular eating places are actually closed, so your choices are slim.

Oh and here’s a bonus- the wait for the rides was like 10-15 minutes the most! That was pretty amazing.

Overall, I would totally recommend going to Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween party. Disney at Halloween is even more magical if you like the spooky stuff like me. Just dress comfy, eat first, and arrive early so you can see and do all the things. The party doesn’t start until 7, but you can get in the park at 4pm!